Creighton business survey finds strong positive feelings about growth

A monthly survey of business leaders in Iowa and eight other Midwest and Plains states suggests economic optimism remains strong across the region.

The survey results are compiled into a collection of indexes ranging from zero to 100. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss, who oversees the survey, says the Mid-America Business Conditions Index dropped from 62.3 in June to 56.1 in July.

“Anything above 50 is growth positive, so it was a good number,” Goss said. “It’s the eighth straight month it’s been above growth neutral, so that’s very solid.”

The July employment index dipped to 56.5 last month – down from 60.7 in June. “We’re probably adding jobs (at a rate of) 1.4 percent, but if you tack on productivity growth on top of that, that’s where we get the 2 to 3 percent overall GDP growth – so, that was a good reading,” Goss said. One concern for Iowa’s economy involves a recent decision by Japan.

“Japan just announced they’re going to tack on tariffs on U.S. beef going into Japan from 38.5 to 50 percent. That’s tough,” Goss said.